Constance Kane School of Alice Baber Unique Colorfield Watercolor

Constance Kane (1930-2021)
School of Alice Baber
Untitled, circa 1961
Watercolor on porous fabric polyolefin
paper: 9 1/2 x 8 inches
Frame: 17 x 14 inches
Framed and matted in a white wood frame, with plexiglass

Legendary abstract color field Artist Alice Baber and Constance Kane were friends and colleagues for over 3 decades.

Constance Kane first met Alice Baber in the late 1950's and the two women forged a life-long friendship. Constance Kane was a respected authority on contemporary art; Constance was an early pioneer of providing art lectures accompanied with slides to collectors and interested parties and a regular lecturer at The New School and The Metropolitan Museum.

Constance also organized art gallery tours with groups of 10 to 15 at New York City galleries for various organizations including Brandeis University as well as her own art groups that were attended by interested parties who purchased a "season" of tours. Constance lectured on a wide variety of artists and movements in the 60's including Pop Art, Op Art as well as 20 century masters that covered all the greats.

Constance had a robust close relationship with many important 20 century art world icons including esteemed Art Critics David Sylvester and Clement Greenberg; Museum of Modern Art Curator Peter Seltz; fine art author and Mark Tobey authority, Paul Cummings; Dada Founder Dr. Richard Hulsenbeck; Artists Adolph Gottlieb, James Rosenquist, Henry Pearson, Will Barnett, Louise Nevelson, Paul Jenkins, Budd Hopkins, Robert Ryman and dozens more.

Constance was well known and respected in the art world and a legend for hosting fabulous cocktail parties that were attended by many of these illuminates. It was Constance who introduced Alice Baber to Abstract Expressionist Artist Paul Jenkins whom Baber married June 16, 1964.

Alice Baber is Internationally recognized for her extraordinary use of color, light and form to create unique and glowing images-ecstatic, beautiful and sensual. Baber’s works of art are radiant affirmations of life and beauty while at the same time they express, ever so subtly, the inherent tragedy of experience. Whether Alice Baber employs deep somber mysterious blues or purples, oranges, pinks and yellows, ephemeral greens, or fiery reds, each individual work of art reveals her mystical yet clear-eyed instincts.

Over many decades Constance, Alice and Paul often traveled together around the world and were frequent guests to parties Constance hosted in her New York apartment. Constance was also a noted authority on art by Alice Baber and often lectured and wrote numerous papers that provided a thorough analysis of Baber's art. Constance was was one of a distinguished few who also provided a poignant eulogy after Alice died on October 2, 1982, after waging a battle against bone cancer.

During numerous Summers in the 1960's Alice and Constance were often found in the Hamptons where Alice was instrumental in showing Constance her unique perspective regarding Baber's color staining technique which became a consistent and constant part of Baber’s color abstraction. Baber showed Constance how to thin and soak the paint intentionally so it would transform into colorful and stunning watercolors. Over several years under the direct guidance of Baber, Constance created a substantial body of unique works on watercolor paper that are in essence an homage to Alice Baber. These unique works were created with undeniable influence of Alice Baber, and in fact, Baber was often present when Constance was created her homage to Baber stained watercolors. In essence the works became color-space or space in color works of art.

During the 1960’s Constance and Alice created a body of unique work together both in New York and the Hamptons. We present a trove of unseen color field sketches created in collaboration during the early 1960’s.